• In his new endgame series, Boroljub Zlatanovic shows a profound understanding of the most common material imbalance in chess: that of the bishop against the knight. The didactic concept of the book is admirable as well as the detailed explanations of the typical characteristics of this endgame. Despite the importance of this subject, it has received very little detailed coverage in chess literature and this encyclopedic work will definitely fill this gap and offer a lot of useful tips for practical play. ~ Alexander Delchev
  • The book before you engages the reader in useful calculations all the while expanding the player’s perception and confidence in a phase of the game where computer theory and preparation are of little value. ~ Alexander Hart
  • “Chess is not for the faint of heart,” Steinitz once said. I agree 100%! Chess players do not need pumped up muscles, they need a stable neuropsychic organization. How else can you resist the constant pressure that every nerve cell of the player experiences? I don’t always like this constant struggle with the stress that hangs over you, especially when you are wrong in a winning position. And in recent years, another “problem” has been added – incredibly powerful computer engines that younger opponents skillfully use in preparation for the game. But when you win a beautiful game or use a theoretical novelty invented at home (albeit with the help of a computer), or defend a difficult hopeless position, how great it is! And at such moments you don’t think what chess is – it is science, art or sport. At times like these, they are just part of your life.” ~ Vladimir Okhotnic
  • Ivan Sokolov was one of the most furious attacking and creative players of his time. The author presents an overview of is his Life in Chess, full of entertaining unpublished material. He is not shy to share his opinions and promises the reader a personal roller coaster loaded with fun stories and unexpected twists. We are convinced you will enjoy the ride!
  • ‘I as though traced the evolution of chess thought and repeated its basic steps in my own development … convinced that any player with high ambition should follow such a path’ ~ Vassily Smyslov, 125 Selected Games (1983) This book takes the reader on a journey from early 19th century developments in the game up to the present-day. It takes in the revolutionary Wilhelm Steinitz’s early summation and establishment of a firm positional basis for chess and the considerable contributions made by all of the subsequent world champions and certain other great players, including the contemporary computer phenomenon, AlphaZero.
  • I like the fact that a publisher has now been found to compile his best stories. The biggest names pass by: Kasparov, Karpov, Timman, Carlsen, Polgar, Kortchnoi, Anand, Caruana, Giri, Hou Yifan… This is just a sample, all portrayed at a time when they were in the spotlight in one way or another. The power of a good interviewer is that he prepares well. And that is what Gert does. Moreover, he is also conscientious in the elaboration of his stories. He checks facts and calls or emails the interviewee if something is not clear to him or needs explanation. I hope the reader enjoys reading this book. Jeroen van den Berg
  • “A lot of the topics listed demand a very straightforward type of thinking or approach. However it also happens that chess players often discover significant resources which formally exist outside the typical rules of chess. Those who know how to break all the rules and work around those specific guidelines reach the very top.” ~ Evgeny Bareev
  • Find your role model. This book contains games from every single female World Champion, as well as young up and comers, top seasoned professionals, streamers, and even a section at Beth Harmon from the recent famed Queen’s Gambit hit show. This book is not just for girls and women, however. Any chess player can learn from these games and discover female chess history, both from the famous players in the past right up to the present day.
  • Endgame theory teaches us two fundamental issues: First, how to extract the maximum from a basic theoretical position with little material, where the experts (from practice comprising thousands of games) have reached definite conclusions. Second, the way in which we can handle an endgame, depending on the material remaining on the board, and the ideas and plans we should employ. The purpose of this series is to introduce the reader to advanced training concepts, using the same methods of presentation and instruction that were taught to great players by famous trainers that they have worked with. The series will start with the topic of “the Bishop Pair” and we will examine how to handle this “power of the sun” coupling.
  • As a result, many improve their chess skills very fast and raise hundreds of points in a short time. Yet, many spend years in confusion not being able to improve. What’s the correct approach in this tricky world? How to get maximum value from the good resources, be in the 1st type of group of fast improvers? I believe the answer lies in the following:
    1. Smart research before picking up a source to study from
    2. Learning from someone who has walked the talk, who has achieved what you want to or has students who have done that.
    3. Forget about the word “useful”. You won’t be able to read and watch all the useful books and courses. Instead, change it to “the most effective.”
    What’s the most effective book for your level or the most effective course to get? As a Grandmaster and chess coach, who left his cozy life and started a company with a mission to help chess lovers to unlock their full potential, I’m very happy that in the chess world there are people like Vishnu and that you picked his book. International Grandmaster, Founder and CEO of ChessMood, Avetik Grigoryan
  • The idea behind this book is for you to ‘play’ as in a real game, and it is my job to ensure you have a pleasant time while training. I suggest you take at least an hour and a half for each game and as your coach I will indicate when to guess the moves. Sometimes there will be suggestions — including tricky ones — to measure your concentration level. The ideas behind the moves are always explained. The games have been chosen according to my personal liking and commentaries are based on those by the players themselves, which is a great help in understanding what indeed happened. In some games you will have to guess moves for the losing side too. Indeed, I expect that as you proceed you will become familiar with the question of Mark Dvoretsky: “What could my opponent play?”. Importance has also been given to the practical aspect, which doesn’t always coincide with the suggestions off ered by the engines as best. This is to make it more like ‘a real game’.
  • Here is what has been added to this edition:
    • More accurate and extensive annotations using ChessBase and Stockfish 14.
    • Torre’s own annotations to several games have been unearthed and added.
    • Added games to give a more rounded view of Torre. Also the six games between players other than Torre that he annotated for the Mexican Championship tournament book.
    • Many more diagrams and photographs. Also more thumbnail bios of Torre’s opponents.
    • More ancillary material about Torre’s life and career: newspaper articles, pictures, anecdotes, interesting facts, opinions, trivia etc.
    • A 1927 interview with Torre, published in the Yucatán magazine Anahuac.
    • Excerpts from 64 Variaciones Sobre un Tema de Torre by Germán de la Cruz.
    • Columns and articles from newspapers in Torre’s home town of Mérida.
    • “A Clash of Opposites,” comparing and contrasting Torre with the notorious Norman Tweed Whitaker.
    • The full text of Torre’s 1926 booklet Development of Chess Ability.
    • A review of Torre x Torre, a fascinating documentary film.
    • A more extensive, more fully informed overall assessment of Torre as a player.
    The Life and Games of Carlos Torre – Gabriel Velasco & Taylor Kingston – 588 pages.
  • “A passed pawn must be blockaded, so as to have its power restrained as much as possible. The minor pieces (knight or bishop) are ideal for this purpose, as they can rarely be forced to retreat by enemy action. On the other hand, the major pieces (queen and rook) find it difficult to achieve a stable blockade as is easy to harass them, while one must also consider that, for such valuable pieces, dealing with a mere pawn cannot be an efficient form of employment. Taking the above into account, it becomes clear that the side with the passed pawn should seek to exchange minor pieces and retain the major ones; the opposite applies to the defending side.”
  • Not every reader is ambitious enough or has enough time to work very hard on his chess. That’s quite understandable and nothing to be ashamed of. You can enjoy chess very well without being a strong tournament player. You could just entertain yourself by playing through interesting combinations. In this case don’t try too hard to solve the Advanced Lessons or Master Class exercises. Have a look to make yourself familiar with the position, than look at the solution and enjoy the surprising combinations. You won’t learn as much as you would by racking your brain to crack the hard nuts. But some knowledge and experience will certainly rub off and increase your understanding of chess. I hope this book will help you to work towards your goals and let have you fun with chess, Thomas Luther, September 2022

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